Hundreds of Washington Wizards fans attended a watch party at The Anthem in The Wharf Tuesday night to witness the draft selection that could change the franchise.
They erupted in cheers when NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced that the Wizards selected AJ Dybantsa with the No. 1 overall pick out of BYU.
The fans who attended the watch party are hopeful that Dybantsa can be the superstar who will lead them to the playoffs and possibly an NBA championship, something the franchise hasn’t won since 1978 when they were the Bullets.
“He’s a star and that’s what the city needs, that’s what this team needs,” Wizards fan Malik Shareef, who moved to the D.C. area in 2010, told WTOP. “He has a big personality. We’re really looking forward to seeing him transform the team and kind of bring some swag. It’s the start of a new era.”
Spencer Belt, who has been a fan of the team his whole life, told WTOP that he came to the watch party to see the first overall pick.
“I think he’s going to be the guy within two years,” Belt said of Dybantsa. “I think he’ll be the engine that leads the team and takes us to the playoffs and wins some games.”
Another fan, Max Smith, described the selection of Dybantsa as a “franchise-altering pick.”
“I’m really excited. I think he’s going to change the whole franchise,” Smith said. “I think he’s going to be insane for us.”
Mechelle Merkerson recently moved to the D.C. area and became a fan of the Wizards because of their underdog status.
“They’ve been trying their hardest. The games that I have attended, I have really enjoyed them,” Merkerson said. “The city itself is very surrounded with love toward the Wizards.”
Dybanta the player
Dybantsa, listed at 6 feet, 9 inches tall and 217 pounds, is a long and athletic player who showed his ability to score and defend at a high level during his single season at BYU, where he averaged 25.5 points per game. He has been compared to D.C.-area native and future Hall of Famer Kevin Durant.
Cameron Gantt, who works for Monumental Sports, said Dybantsa is the type of player the team has spent years looking for.
“This is one of those draft picks that changes your franchise,” Gantt said. “He’s just one of those franchise players that you hope you get when you get the No. 1 pick. … We’re blessed to have this happen.”
Longtime radio play-by-play announcer for the Washington Wizards and former WTOP Senior Sports Director Dave Johnson agreed with the sentiment. Before the Wizards made their selection, Johnson told WTOP the team has been developing young players, such as Alex Sarr, Kyshawn George and Bilal Coulibaly.
With the help of veteran players in Anthony Davis and Trae Young, Johnson said, “It’ll start a consistent rise for the Wizards and that’s what this team wants, sustained success.”
Washington Wizards radio broadcaster Glenn Consor was very excited about the pick. Speaking to a crowd of fans before the watch party came to a close, he described Dybantsa as a combination of Basketball Hall of Famers Tracy McGrady and Kevin Garnett — who was known for his competitiveness, passion and intensity.
“You combine those two players, you have something very special,” Consor said. “We all have something very much to look forward to. His athleticism, his ability to score in the paint. … His greatest asset is running the floor in transition. You’re going to see the Wizards run a lot this year. It’s going to be so much fun to watch.”
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